“While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”” – Luke 24:36
“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”” – John 20:19-21
I love this scene. And I love to be able to compare and contrast this scene to the scene that we find in Pentecost and Acts of the Apostles. I love that Jesus comes into the room again, the doors are locked and there’s fear and His followers are anxious and Jesus comes, there wasn’t a big strong driving wind, there wasn’t tons of fire, it was just Jesus. And, all Jesus says is peace.
Why? Why peace? Because He knows it’s what our heart needs. We don’t give enough credit to the miracle of peace. How would our lives be different if we had God’s peace?
Jesus goes on and He shows His hands in His side. This proves to them it is who they thought it was, that they see the wounds and they realize that it is Jesus. Jesus says a second time, peace be with you. You know, this is a reminder. Oftentimes we think peace is a lack of something that that we’re going to have peace if there’s no more fear. We’re gonna have peace if everything’s perfect in our marriage. We’re gonna have peace if everything’s great at work. But what Jesus does is really beautiful. He enters into the chaos of the disciples’ world and He says peace. It’s significant that He shows the hands and His hands in His side. Because what He’s showing them is His suffering, His wounds. And He says to them again, peace.
What He’s saying is in the midst of our suffering, in the midst of our pain, in the midst of our difficulty, I am here. I am present. He says that I offer you my peace. And He breathes on them the Holy Spirit. This peace which is a presence of something, it’s a presence of Jesus, not an absence of something. He says that we’re not going to experience peace when everything becomes perfect. Rather, we’re gonna experience peace because Jesus and His Holy Spirit want to bring us that peace.
I think that’s a greater miracle. It’s miraculous that in the midst of the hectic world that we live in, in the struggle that you’re having in your marriage, in the mess that work is, God can still bring peace.
I think that is the witness of the saints. They were able to present a peace that’s beyond all understanding. A peace that can only come from Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus breathing His peace into us.
Now it’s your turn. Step into this moment, in your room, locked from whatever fears lurk about. Watch as Jesus comes into, through that still locked door and breathed His peace upon you. Then, go. Share this with all around you. Spread His peace.
Reflect upon this scene as you gaze today upon the image of Divine Mercy.
